THE NEED FOR CARE IN MEDITATION from the work of the Tibetan (Djwhal Khul),
through Alice A. Bailey
"A clean life, an open mind, a pure heart, an eager intellect, an unveiled
spiritual perception, a brotherliness for one's co-disciple, a readiness to
give and receive advice and instruction,...a willing obedience to the
behests of Truth,...a courageous endurance of personal injustice, a brave
declaration of principles, a valiant defence of those who are unjustly
attacked, and a constant eye to the ideal of human progression and
perfection which the secret science depicts; these are the golden stairs up
the steps of which the learner may climb to the Temple of Divine Wisdom." H. P. BLAVATSKY
THE meditation work outline in the previous chapter constitutes a good
concentration exercise for the beginner and will eventually lead him - if he
possesses persistence - to the genuine practice of meditation. A
concentration that lasts one minute is difficult to achieve but is a real
step upon the way to meditation, which is the act of prolonged
concentration. The outline will help to produce the condition of active
attention. Many such outlines are available, and can be drawn up, by those
who know the rules and who are good psychologists, to suit the needs of
differing types of people. A few such outlines will be found at the close of
the book, but it is obvious that in a book of this description the more
advanced practices and the more intensive work have no place. They can be
wisely carried forward only when the earlier stages have been mastered.
It should be noted that any thought process, followed with undeviating
attention, which leads "inward" from the outer form to the energy or life
aspect of that form and which enables the thinker to be identified with it,
will serve a purpose similar to a technical outline. Any noun, for instance,
when properly understood as the name of a thing and, therefore, of a form,
will serve as a seed thought in meditation. The form will be studied as to
its quality and purpose, and all can in time be traced back to an idea, and
all true ideas emanate from the realm of the soul. If the right attitude,
therefore is assumed and the processes outlined in Chapter Five are
followed, the thinker will find himself led out of the phenomenal world into
the world of Divine Realities. As practice in concentration is gained, the
consideration of the outer form, and of its quality and aspect can be
omitted, and the act of concentration, having become (through persistence
and practice) automatic and instantaneous, the student can start with the
purpose aspect, or with the underlying idea which brought the outer form
into being. This entire concept has been expressed for us by Plutarch in
these words:
"An idea is a Being incorporeal, which has no subsistence of itself, but
gives figure and form unto shapeless matter and becomes the cause of the
manifestation." (De Placit. Philos.)
These are significant words and hold much information for the student of
this ancient technique of meditation.
The goal of meditation, from the angle of the mind, might therefore, be
stated to be the attainment of the world of ideas; from the angle of the
soul, it is the identification of the individual soul with the world
originator of all ideas. Through mind control, we become aware of the ideas
which lie back of our world evolution, and the manifestation (through
matter) of the form that they take. Through meditation, we contact a part of
the Plan; we see the blue prints of the Great Architect of the Universe, and
are given opportunity to participate in their emergence into objective being
through our contact with, and right interpretation of, the ideas we succeed
in contacting in meditation.
It will, therefore, be apparent how necessary it is that the aspirant should
be possessed of a well trained and well-stocked mind, if he is to interpret
with accuracy that which he sees; it is evident that he should be able to
formulate with clarity the thoughts with which he seeks to clothe the
nebulous ideas, and in turn, through this clear thinking, impress the
waiting brain. It may be true that "God" works out, in many cases, His plans
through the agency of human beings, but He needs intelligent agents; He
needs men and women who are not more stupid than those chosen by the leaders
of the race to participate in their endeavors. Just to love God is not
entirely sufficient. It is a step in the right direction, but devotion,
unbalanced by good sense and brains, leads to much stupid action and much
unconsidered effort. God looks for those who have trained and highly
developed minds, and fine brains (to act as sensitive recorders of the
higher impressions), so that the work may be carried forward rightly.
Perhaps it might be said that the saints and mystics have revealed to us the
nature of the Divine Life, and the quality of the ideas which govern His
activities in the world of phenomena, and that the knowers of the world and
the intellectuals of the race must, in their turn, reveal to the world the
synthetic Plan and the Divine Purpose. Thus shall we find the thread of gold
which will guide us out of the maze of our present chaotic world condition
into the light of truth and of understanding.
It should be remembered that we live in a world of energies and of forces.
The power of public opinion (emotional as it usually is, and frequently set
in motion by some basic ideas, formulated by thinkers, good, bad and
indifferent) is well known, and is a form of energy, producing big results.
The devastating effect of uncontrolled emotion, for instance, is equally
well known, and is again a demonstration of force. The expression, so
constantly used, "the forces of nature," shows us that since man began to
think at all he has known that all is energy. The scientists tell us that
everything is a manifestation of energy. There is nothing but energy,
pouring through us, and working in us, and in it we are immersed. All forms
are built of atoms, we are told, and atoms are units of energy. Man,
therefore, is himself energy, formed of energy units, living in a world
similarly constituted and working with energy all the time.
The fundamental law governing all meditation work is the ancient one
formulated by the seers in India centuries ago, that "energy follows
thought." From the realm of ideas (or of soul knowledge) energy pours
through. The "public opinion" of the soul realm seeps little by little into
the dense minds of men, and to it can be traced all the forward movements of
the present time, all organization of general welfare and of group
betterment; all religious concepts and all outer knowledge of the Causes
which produce objectivity. These ideas assume a mental form, first of all,
and some mind grasps them and ponders upon them, or passes them on to some
group of thinkers, and the work of "thinking through" goes forward. Then the
quality of desire begins to enter in, and there is an emotional reaction to
the thoughts which the ideas have evoked, and the form is gradually built.
Thus the work goes on and the energy of the soul and of the mind and of the
desire nature correlate with the energy of matter, and a definite form comes
into being. Every form, whether it be the form of a sewing machine, of a
social order or of a solar system, can be posited as the materialization of
the thought of some thinker, or of some group of thinkers. It is a form of
creative work, and the same laws of emergence into being have governed the
entire process, and all the work has been concentrated with energy of some
type or another. The student of meditation must, therefore, remember that he
is always working with energies, and that these varying energies will have a
definite effect upon the energies of which he himself is composed (if such
an expression is permissible).
It will be apparent, therefore, that the man who is learning to meditate
must endeavor to do two things:
First: He must learn to "bring through" into his mind and then interpret
correctly what he has seen and contacted, and later transmit it correctly
and accurately to the attentive and impressionable brain. Thus the man, in
physical waking consciousness becomes aware of the things of the Kingdom of
God.
Second: He must learn the nature of the energies he is contacting, and train
himself to utilize them correctly. A practical illustration of this can be
given here, and one universally recognized. We are swept by anger or
irritation. Instinctively we begin to shout. Why? Emotional energy has us in
its grip. By learning to control the energy of the spoken word we begin to
master that particular type of emotional energy.
In these two ideas of right interpretation and right transmission, and of
right use of energy, the whole story of the meditation work is summed up. It
becomes apparent also what is the problem confronting the student, and why
all wise teachers of the technique of meditation urge upon their pupils the
need of care and slow procedure.
It is essential that we realize that meditation can be very dangerous work
and may land a man in serious difficulty. It can be destructive and
disrupting; it can do more harm than good and lead a man towards catastrophe
if he enters upon the Way of the Knower without a proper understanding of
what he is doing and where it will lead him. At the same time, it can be,
indeed, the "work of salvation" and lead a man out of all his difficulties;
it can be constructive and liberating, and guide the man by right and sane
methods along the way that leads from darkness to light, from death to
immortality, and from the unreal to the Real.
It might be of value here if we considered these two points a little more
closely.
We have seen that the deep need of the aspirant is to see that he succeeds
in bringing through into his physical brain-consciousness, with accuracy,
the phenomena of the spiritual world which he may succeed in contacting. The
probability is, however, that it will be a long time before he can penetrate
into that world at all. Therefore, he has to learn to discriminate between
the fields of awareness which may open up before him as he becomes more
sensitive, and know the nature of what he is seeing and hearing. Let us look
for a moment at some of the phenomena of the lower mind which students are
so constantly misinterpreting.
They record, for instance, a rapturous encounter with the Christ or with
some Great Soul, who appeared to them when meditating, smiled at them, and
told them to "be of good cheer. You are making good progress. You are a
chosen worker and to you truth shall be revealed," or something equally
fatuous. They thrill to the event; they record it in their diary and they
write joyously to me that the occurrence is a most momentous happening in
their lives. It may be, if they handle it right, and learn its lesson. What
has really happened? Has the student really seen the Christ? Here we
remember the truism that "thoughts are things" and that all thoughts take
form. Two things have produced the occurrence, if it has really happened and
is not the result of a vivid and overstimulated imagination. The power of
the creative imagination is only just beginning to be sensed, and it is
quite possible to see just what we desire to see, even if it is not there at
all. The desire of the aspirant to make progress, and his strenuous effort,
has forced him to become awake or aware upon the psychic plane, the plane of
vain imaginings, of desire and its illusory fulfillments. In that realm, he
contacts a thought-form of the Christ or of some great and revered Teacher.
The world of illusion is full of these thought-forms, constructed by the
loving thoughts of men down the ages, and the man, working through his own
psychic nature (the line of least resistance for the majority) comes in
touch with such a thought-form, mistakes it for the real, and imagines it
saying to him all the things he wants said. He wants encouragement; he
seeks, like so many, the justification of phenomena for his endeavour; he
quiets the brain and gently slips into a psychic and negative condition.
Whilst in that condition, his imagination begins to function, and he sees
what he wants to see, and he hears the magnificent words of recognition for
which he hankers. It does not occur to him that the Guides of the race are
too busy with group activities and with the training of the advanced
thinkers and leaders of humanity, through whom They can work, to spend any
time with the children of the race. The latter may be left, with complete
success, to the tuition of less highly evolved beings. Nor does it occur to
them that, should they be so advanced and so highly evolved as to have won
the privilege of making such a contact, the Master would not waste His time
and theirs by patting them on the back and pronouncing high sounding but
inane platitudes. He would improve the brief moment by pointing out some
weakness to be eliminated, or some constructive work to be undertaken.
Again, some "force" - a word frequently used - or some entity comes to the
student, as he meditates, and outlines to him some great work that he has
been chosen to do; some world message that he has to give and to which the
entire world is to listen, or some great invention he is to present some day
to a waiting world if he continues to be good. Gladly he grasps the mantle
of the prophet, and with unshaken belief in his capacity, his ability to
influence thousands, even if he is relatively impotent to influence those
around him at present, he prepares to carry out his divine mission. In one
year, three "World Teachers," who have been studying meditation in some
school or other, made application to the group with whom I am associated.
This they did, not because they wanted to carry their meditation forward,
but because they felt we would be happy to have them "feed" into the group
some of the many hundreds they were to be instrumental in saving. I had to
decline the honor, and they disappeared, and nothing has since been heard of
them. The world still awaits them. Of their sincerity there is absolutely no
doubt. They believed what they said. Neither is there any doubt of their
being hallucinated. All of us are in danger of being deluded in just this
way, when we start to meditate, if the discriminating mind is not on the
watch, or if we have a secret longing for spiritual prominence, or suffer
from an inferiority complex which must be offset. Another cause for the
delusion lies in the fact that these people have perhaps made a real contact
with the soul. They have had a flash of its omniscience and are swept off
their feet by the very wonder of the contacted vision and knowledge. But
they overestimate their capacity; the instrument of the soul is totally
unable to measure up to requirements; there are aspects of their life upon
which the light may not shine; there are secret faults which they know but
cannot break; there is the desire for fame and power; there is ambition.
They are not yet the soul in functioning activity. They have simply had a
vision of a possibility. Hence they crash through their failure to see the
personality as it is.
Yet, in spite of the truth of the above, let us always remember that
it is
the privilege of the true knower to work in the closest co-operation with
the Guides of the race, but that the method of co-operation is not the one
which deceived the aspirant. Only when we have begun consciously to function
as souls, and only when we are busy with self-forgetting service - a service
that is self-initiated, and carried forward because the soul is group
conscious, and it is in the nature of the soul to serve - will we make such
a contact. The Christ is the Son of God in full functioning activity, the
"Eldest in a great family of brothers." He has a consciousness which is
universal in its scope, and through Him the love of God pours, and the
purposes of God are working to fruition. He is the Master of all the
Masters, and the Teacher alike of Angels and of men. When He and those
associated with Him find an aspirant who is engrossed with the work to be
done in self-discipline, who is faithful and conscientious in his endeavor,
they look to see if the light within him has reached the point of "the
shining forth." If they find one who is so anxious to serve his fellowmen
that he is looking for no phenomenal contacts for himself and is not
interested in being patted on the back and having his pride and
self-satisfaction fed in this manner, then they may reveal to him the work
that he can do in his own sphere of influence to further the Divine Plan.
But he will have to begin where he is; he will have to make his
demonstration first of all in his home or office; he will have to prove
himself in the small things before he can be safely trusted with the big.
The ludicrous arrogance of some of the writings which record the psychic
contacts of the writers is almost beyond belief. They certainly lack a sense
of humor at least.
The point that every student of meditation should always bear in mind is
that all knowledge and instructions are conveyed to the mind and brain by a
man's own soul; it is the soul that illumines his way. The Teachers and
Masters of the race work through souls. This cannot be too often reiterated.
Therefore, the prime duty of every aspirant should be the perfect
performance of meditation and service and discipline, and not the making of
contact with some great Soul. It is less interesting, but preserves him from
illusion. If he does this, the higher results will take care of themselves.
Should an apparition appear to him, therefore, and should such an entity
make platitudinous comments, he will use the same judgment as he would in
business or ordinary life with a man who came and said to him, "A great work
lies in your hands, you are doing well. We see and know, etc., etc." He
would probably laugh and continue with the activity or duty of the moment.
Another effect of meditation, and a very prevalent one at this time, is the
flood of so-called inspirational writings which are coming out, with high
claims made for them, everywhere. Men and women are busily writing
automatically, inspirationally, and prophetically, and giving to the public
the result of their labors. These writings are distinguished by certain
uniform features and can be explained in several ways. They emanate from
many different interior sources. They are curiously alike; they indicate a
lovely aspirational spirit; they say no new thing, but repeat what has often
been said before; they are full of statements and phrases which link them up
with the writings of the mystics or with the Christian teaching; they may
contain prophecies as to future events (usually dire and dreadful, and
seldom, if ever, of a happy nature) they carry much comfort to the writer
and make him feel he is a great and wonderful soul; and, fortunately, they
are generally innocuous. Their name is legion, and they become exceedingly
tiresome after one has toiled through a few of the manuscripts. Some few are
definitely destructive. They foretell great and immediate cataclysms, and
breed fear in the world. Even suppose these predictions are true, one is
tempted to ask whether anything is gained by frightening the public and
whether it is not more constructive to build the realization of their
immortal destiny into people than to tell them they are going down in a
tidal wave, or will be submerged in the catastrophe which is going to wipe
their particular city off the map. What are these writings - good and
innocuous, or harmful and destructive and subversive of public order? They
fall roughly into two classes. First, there are the writings of those
sensitive souls who can tune in - again on psychic levels - with the mass of
aspirations, longings and ideas of the mystics of all times, or, equally,
them can tune in on the fears of the ages, the racial and hereditary fears,
or the fears engendered by world conditions prevailing at this time. These
they record and write down and hand around to their friends. Under this
category come the writings of those who are sensitive in a more mental
manner, and can tune in telepathically with the mental world; they are
responsive to the mind of some powerful thinker, or to the massed concepts
of the religious world; they register, on mental levels, the fear and hatred
and separativeness of the masses. Whether the material they record is good
or bad, whether it is happy, which it seldom is, or unhappy in nature, and
whether it carries a vibration of fear and foreboding, it is all psychic
stuff, and it in no way indicates the revealing quality of the soul. The
prophecies in the Books of Daniel and Revelations have been responsible for
the building up of a thought-form of fear and of terror which has led to
much writing of a psychic nature, and the exclusiveness of organized
religion has led many to separate themselves off from the rest of humanity
and to regard themselves as the elect of the Lord, with the mark of the
Christ on their foreheads and, therefore, to take the position that they are
safe and the rest of the world must perish, unless they can be brought to
interpret truth and the future in the exclusive terms of the anointed and
select.
Secondly, these writings can indicate a process of self unfoldment, and a
method whereby the introverted mystic can become the extrovert. The writer
may be tapping the wealth of the subconscious knowledge which is his, and
which he has accumulated through his reading, thinking and contacts. This
mind has recorded and stored up much of which he remains for years totally
unaware. Then he begins to meditate and suddenly taps the depths of his own
nature and penetrates to the resources of his own subconsciousness and to
information which has dropped below the threshold of his ordinary
consciousness. He begins to write assiduously. Why he should regard these
thoughts as emanating from the Christ, or from some great Teacher is a
puzzle. It probably feeds his pride - again quite unconsciously - to feel he
is a channel through which the Christ can communicate. I am not referring
here to the mass of automatic writings which are so popular now. I am
supposing that the student of meditation refuses to have anything to do with
this kind of dangerous work. No true aspirant, in his efforts to be master
of himself, will hand over the reins of government and submit to the control
of any entity, incarnate or discarnate; neither will he render up his hand
blindly for any force to use. The dangers of this kind of work are becoming
too well known and have landed so many people in the psychopathic wards, or
necessitated their being freed from obsessions or from "idées fixes", that
there is no need for me to enlarge upon it.
How, it might be pertinently asked, can one can distinguish between the
truly inspired writings of the true knower, and this mass of literature
which is flooding the minds of the public at this time? First, I should say
that the true inspirational writing will be entirely without self-reference;
it will sound a note of love and will be free from hatreds and racial
barriers; it will convey definite knowledge and carry a note of authority by
its appeal to the intuition; it will respond to the law of correspondences,
and fit into the world picture; above all, it will carry the impress of
Divine Wisdom and lead the race on a little further. As to its mechanics;
the writers of such a type of teaching will have a real understanding of the
methods they employ. They will have mastered the technique of the process; they will be able to guard themselves from
illusion, and from the intrusion of personalities, and will have a working
knowledge of the apparatus with which they are working. If they are
receiving teachings from discarnate entities, and from great Masters, they
will know how to receive it, and will then know all about the agent
transmitting the teaching.
True servers of the race and those who have contacted the world of the soul,
through meditation, have no time for platitudes; these can safely be left to
the parrots of the world; they are too busy serving constructively to care
to pick up mantles which are only a veil to pride; they are not interested
in the good opinion of any person, incarnate or discarnate, and care only
for the approval of their own soul, and are vitally interested in the
pioneering work of the world. They will do nothing to feed hatred and separativeness or to foster fear. There are numbers of people in the world
only too ready to do that. They will fan the flame of love wherever they go;
they will teach brotherhood in its true inclusiveness, and not a system
which will teach brotherhood to a few and leave the rest outside. They will
recognize all men as sons of God and will not set themselves upon a pedestal
of righteousness and knowledge from whence they proclaim the truth as they
see it and consign those to destruction who do not see as they do, or do not
act as they feel they should, placing them outside the pale; they will not
regard one race as better than another, though they may recognize the
evolutionary plan and the work that each race has to do. They will, in
short, occupy themselves by building up the characters of men, and not waste
their time in tearing down personalities, and dealing with effects and with
results. They work in the world of causes, and enunciate principles. The
world is full of those who tear down, and who feed the present hatreds, and
who widen the divisions between races and groups, between rich and poor. Let
the true student of meditation remember that when he makes a contact with
his soul, and becomes at-one with Reality, he is entering into a state of
group awareness, which breaks down all barriers, and leaves none of the sons
of God outside its field of knowledge.
It is possible to mention other forms of illusion, for the first world the
aspirant contacts seems usually to be the psychic world, and that is the
world of illusion. This world of illusion has its uses, and entering it is a
most valuable experience, provided that the rule of love and of
non-self-reference is carried there, and that all contacts made are
subjected to the discriminating mind and ordinary commonsense. So many
aspirants lack a sense of humor, and take themselves far too seriously. They
seem to leave behind them their good sense, when they enter a new field of
phenomena. It is useful to record what is seen and heard and then to forget
about it until such time as we have begun to function in the kingdom of the
soul; then we will be no longer interested in its recollection. We must also
avoid personalities and pride, for they have no place in the life of the
soul, which is governed by principles and love to all beings. If these
things are developed, there is no danger of any student of meditation being
side-tracked, or delayed; he will inevitably enter some day into that world
of which it is said "eye hath not seen or ear heard, the things which God
hath revealed to them that love him", the time being dependent upon his
persistence and patience.
The second type of difficulty which we should consider is the one that can
be interpreted in terms of energy.
Students frequently complain of over-stimulation and of such an increased
energy that they find themselves unable to cope with it. They tell us that,
when attempting to meditate, they have an inclination to weep, or to be
unduly restless; they have periods of intense activity wherein they find
themselves running hither and thither serving, talking, writing and working
so that they end by undergoing a violent reaction, sometimes to the point of
nervous collapse. Others complain of pains in the head, of headaches
immediately after meditating, or of an uncomfortable vibration in the
forehead, or the throat. They also find themselves unable to sleep as well
as heretofore. They are, in fact, over-stimulated. The nervous system is
being affected through the medium of fine and subtle "nadis" which underly
the nerves and to which we earlier referred. These troubles are the troubles
of the neophyte in the science of meditation and must be dealt with
carefully. Rightly handled, they will soon disappear, but if they are
ignored they may lead to serious trouble. The earnest and interested
aspirant, at this stage, is himself a difficulty, for he is so anxious to
master the technique of meditation, that he ignores the rules given him and
drives himself, in spite of all the teacher may say or the warnings he may
receive. Instead of adhering to the fifteen minute formula which is given
him, he endeavors to force the pace and do thirty minutes; instead of
following his outline, which is so arranged that it takes about fifteen
minutes to complete, he tries to hold the concentration as long as possible,
and at the height of his effort, forgetting that he is learning to
concentrate, and not to meditate, at this stage of his training. So he
suffers, and has a nervous breakdown, or a spell of insomnia, and his
teacher gets the blame and the science is regarded as dangerous. Yet all the
time, he himself is the one in fault.
When some of these primary troubles occur, the meditation work should be
temporarily stopped, or slowed down. If the condition is not sufficiently
serious to warrant the complete cessation of the work, a close observation
should be made of where (in the human body) the inflowing energy seems to
go. Energy is tapped in meditation, and it will find its way to some part or
other of the mechanism.
In mental types, or in the case of those who have already some facility in
"centering the consciousness" in the head, it is the brain cells which
become over-stimulated, leading to headaches, to sleeplessness, to a sense
of fullness, or to a disturbing vibration between the eyes or at the very top
of the head. Sometimes there is a sense of blinding light, like a sudden
flash of lightning or of electricity, registered when the eyes are closed,
and in the dark equally as in the light.
When this is the case, the meditation period should be reduced from fifteen
minutes to five, or meditation should be practiced on alternate days, until
such time as the brain cells have adjusted themselves to the new rhythm and
the increased stimulation. There is no need for anxiety, if wise judgment is
used, and obedience to the advice of the teacher is present, but should the
student at this time begin to push his meditation, or to increase the time
period, he may lay up for himself a good deal of trouble. Again common-sense
comes into play, and with the reduction of the time, and with the practice
of a little meditation every day, it should soon be possible to bring the
work back again to normal. We have had students who have suffered this way,
but who, by obedience to suggested rules, and the use of common-sense, are
now doing their thirty minutes' or an hour's meditation daily.
In emotional types, the trouble is first sensed in the region of the solar
plexus. The student finds himself prone to irritation and to anxiety and
worry; also, particularly in the case of women, there may be found a
disposition to cry easily. Sometimes there is a tendency to nausea, for
there is a close relation between the emotional nature and the stomach, as
is evidenced by frequency of vomiting in moments of shock, or fright, or
intense emotion. The same rules apply as in the first set of cases:
common-sense and a careful and slower use of the meditation process.
Another result of over-stimulation might be mentioned. People find
themselves becoming over-sensitive. The senses work overtime and all their
reactions are more acute. They "take on" the conditions, physical or
psychic, of those with whom they live; they find themselves "wide open" to
the thoughts and moods of other people. The cure for this is not to lessen
the meditation periods - these should be continued as per schedule, - but to
become more mentally interested in life, in the thought world, in some
subject which will tend to develop the mental capacity and so bring about
the ability to live in the head and not in the emotional region. Focussed
attention to life and its problems, and some potent mental occupation will
effect a cure. It is for this reason that wise teachers of meditation
parallel the meditation work with some course of reading and study, so as to
preserve the balance of their students. A rounded out development is needed
always, and a trained mind should accompany growth in the spiritual life.
There is a third category of undesirable results which should not be
omitted. Many students of meditation complain that their sex life has been
tremendously stimulated and is giving them much trouble. We have come across
such cases. On investigation, it will usually be found that these students
are people whose animal nature is very strong, who have led an active and
ill-regulated sex life, or whose thoughts are much engrossed with sex, even
if the physical life is controlled. A strong mental complex as to sex is
often discovered, and people who would regard it as wrong to lead an
abnormal sex life, or to practice perversions, are mentally occupying
themselves with sex or are discussing it all the time and letting it play an
undue part in their thought life.
Some most worthy people have also a settled conviction that celibacy must
always accompany the life of the spirit. May it not be possible that the
true celibacy to which the ancient rules are intended to refer concerns the
attitude of the soul, or spiritual man, to the world, the flesh and the
devil, as our Christian Scriptures put it? May not the true celibacy have
reference to our abstaining from all appearance of evil? This may in one man
involve his abstaining from all sex relations in order to demonstrate to
himself his control over the animal nature; in other cases, it may, for
instance, involve refraining from all gossip and idle speech. There is
nothing sinful in marriage and it is probably the way out for many who would
otherwise lead an unduly active mental life where sex is concerned. It is
needless, surely, to add here that the true student of meditation should not
tolerate in his life promiscuous or illegitimate sexual relations. The
aspirant to the life of the spirit conforms not only to the laws of the
spiritual kingdom but to the legalized customs of his age and time. He,
therefore, regularizes his physical every day life so that the man in the
street recognizes the morality, the uprightness and the correctness of his
presentation to the world. A home that is based upon a true and happy
relation between a man and a woman, upon mutual trust, co-operation and
understanding, and in which the principles of spiritual living are
emphasized, is one of the finest aids that can be given to the world at this
time. A relation that is based on physical attraction and the gratification
of the sex nature, and which has, as its primary objective, the prostitution
of the physical nature to animal desire, is evil and wrong. If the goal of
our effort is to demonstrate God immanent in form, then no level of
consciousness is more intrinsically divine than another, and divinity can be
expressed in all human relations. If a married man or woman cannot attain
illumination and achieve the goal, then there is something wrong and
divinity cannot express itself on one plane, at least, of expression; to put
in terms that may sound blasphemous but which will enable us to grasp the
futility of these reasonings: God is defeated in one part of His Kingdom.
This point has been enlarged upon because so many people, and particularly
men, find that the animal nature requires attention when they begin to
meditate. They discover within themselves uncontrolled desires, plus
physiological effects which cause them acute trouble and discouragement. A
person may have a high aspiration and a strong urge towards spiritual living
and yet have aspects of his nature still uncontrolled. The energy that pours
in during meditation pours down through the mechanism and stimulates the
entire sex apparatus. The weak point is always discovered and stimulated.The cure for this situation can be summed up in the words: - control of the
thought life and transmutation. An intense mental preoccupation and interest
should be cultivated in other directions than the line of least resistance -
sex. There should be an endeavor at all times to keep the energy contacted
in the head and to permit it to work out through creative activity of some
kind. The eastern teaching tells us that energy, usually directed to the
functioning of the sex life, has to be raised and carried to the head and
throat, particularly the latter, as it is, we are told, the chakra of
creative work. To put it in western terms, this means that we learn to
transmute the energy utilized in the procreative process or in sex thoughts
and use it in the work of creative writing, in artistic endeavor, or in some
expression of group activity. The tendency in modern times to find the
one-pointed thinker and purely mental type evading marriage and as he
frequently does leading a purely celibate life, may be a demonstration of
the truth of the eastern position. It is causing a good deal of concern
among those who study our falling birth rate. Transmutation is not surely
the death of an activity or a cessation of functioning on any level of
consciousness for the sake of a higher. It is the right utilization of the
various aspects of energy wherever the Self feels they should be used for
the furthering of the ends of evolution, and the helping of the Plan. The
mind, illumined by the soul, should be the controlling factor, and when we
think straight, live straight, and raise all thoughts and energies into the
"Heavenly places" we shall solve our problems through the development of a
spiritual normality which is greatly needed at this time, particularly among
aspirants and esoteric students.
It might be well also, before this chapter comes to a close, to refer to the
dangers to which many are liable if they respond to the appeal of teachers
for pupils to "sit for development." They are then taught to meditate upon
some chakra of energy, usually the solar plexus, sometimes the heart,
curiously enough never the head. Meditating upon a chakra is based upon the
law that energy follows thought, and leads to the direct stimulation of that
chakra and the resultant demonstration of the particular characteristics for
which these focal points - scattered throughout the human body - are
responsible. As the majority of people function primarily through the
collected energies that lie below the diaphragm (the sex energies and the
emotional energies) their stimulation is most dangerous. In view of this,
why take risks? Why not be warned by the experience of others? Why not
learn to function as the spiritual man from that point, so
quaintly described by the Oriental writers, as "the throne
between the eyebrows," and from that high place control all
aspects of the lower nature, and guide the daily life in the
ways of God.
Excerpted as indicated from
FROM INTELLECT TO INTUITION/CHAPTER TEN - THE NEED FOR CARE IN MEDITATION
published by Lucis Publishing Company
http://www.lucistrust.org
Into the New World my first message.
You who gave the Ashram,
And you who gave two lives,
Proclaim.
Builders and warriors, strengthen the steps.
Reader, if you have not grasped — read again,
after a while.
The predestined is not accidental,
The leaves fall in their time.
And winter is but the harbinger of spring.
All is revealed; all is attainable.
I will cover you with My shield,
if you but tend to your labors.
I have spoken.
There is no salvation
surer than that through devotion. One can
forgive much where there is unswerving devotion.
The man who is devoted in heart can be relied
upon. It is cause for rejoicing when Hierarchy
is upheld by devotion. At present it is
especially needed. If yesterday's confusion
seemed enormous, what can one say of tomorrow's?
I have already prepared you for the growth ofArmageddon,
and you know that the black wings of darkness
will not withstand the Fiery Sword. Be not
astonished, the Battle increases!
Agni Yoga:
Fiery World I,605.
Excerpts from some of the books by
the Master Djwhal Khul
(also known as the Tibetan and the Master DK)
Transmission Meditation
Groups
It is the
creation, in co-operation with the Hierarchy of Masters, of a
vortex or pool of higher energy for the benefit of humanity. There are more than 600 Transmission groups in 40 countries
worldwide meeting on a regular basis. You may join an existing
group in your area, or form your own group by simply inviting a
few interested friends to meet with you at least once a week.
All you need is the intention to do so and the desire to serve.
There is never any fee to participate.
http://www.transmissionmeditation.org
www.biblioteca-ga.info
An excellent online catalogue and library
documents the stages of return to the modern world of Maitreya
& the Masters of Wisdom. An ongoing process for which some have been
preparing humanity since 1875.
Collection of articles by
Aart Jurriaanse
He wrote some compilations from Alice A. Bailey's books
along with commentaries on those teachings. His work has
helped many students of the Ancient Wisdom Teachings.
Agni Yoga Teachings (all the books
in seven languages can be downloaded at
www.agniyoga.org)
Agni Yoga Teachings regarding
sex
If we compare two
individuals, of whom one dissipates the vital substance while
the other consciously conserves it, we will be amazed at how
much more sensitive the spiritual apparatus of the second
becomes. The quality of his labors becomes entirely different,
and the quantity of his projects and ideas multiplies. The
centers of the solar plexus and brain are being heated, as it
were, by an invisible fire.
http://www.lucistrust.org/en/arcane_school/introduction/esoteric_training This article was dictated by the Tibetan teacher, Djwhal Khul, in 1934. It is printed in
the book, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, pp. 3-20, published by the Lucis
Publishing Company. The need for trained esotericists is more urgent today than it was
then.
The Alice Bailey books were published by Lucis Trust
and can be purchased directly from them, or from fine bookstores
everywhere:
http://www.lucistrust.org
Lucis Trust has a ~new 14-page introductory PDF booklet about
the 3 major full festivals
The GREAT INVOCATION No one can use this
Invocation or prayer for illumination and for love without causing
powerful changes in attitudes and life intention.
Benjamin Creme discusses the emergence of Maitreya, The World Teacher
Maitreya Dancing in Karbala (believe it or
not!)
The
"Horseman" appears @ 1:23:
Kalki Avatar with the sword of cleavage
"In Hinduism, Kalki (Devanagari: कल्कि; meaning 'Eternity,' 'White
Horse,' or 'Destroyer of Filth') is the final incarnation of Vishnu
[Maitreya, the World Teacher] in the current Mahayuga, foretold to
appear at the end of Kali Yuga [now!]...the Puranas foretell that
Kalki will be atop a white horse with a drawn blazing sword. He is
the harbinger of the end time in Hindu eschatology, after which he
will usher in Satya Yuga [New Age]."Source:
Wikipedia
"When Maitreya comes before
the worldthere
will begin for men a period of intense heart-searching and
reflection. It is only to be expected that for many it will be a
painful, even traumatic, one. So steeped in the ways and ideas
of the past, so fearful of a future unknown and strange, are
millions today, that men will want to take stock of the new
situation which will then pertain…. When Maitreya first
announces His plans and hopes for the rehabilitation of the
world, His energy of Love – the Sword of Cleavage – will further
delineate the divisions which now exist. Men will take sides –
for or against the new principles that He will present for the
betterment of all. Thus will it be. Thus will a period of
discord and discontent precede the acceptance of the new.
Gradually, however, even the least sanguine will acknowledge the
need for a reconstructed world and add their weight to the task.
"There will begin a time unlike aught seen before on Earth. On
every hand and at every level the changes will pursue their
logical course, cementing in law and principle and form the
aspirations of all. Thus will men regain a hold on their destiny
and turn away for ever from the abyss. (The Master -- from
‘Coping with change’)
=========================================
The Sword of Cleavage is the energy of Love. As people respond
to this energy the world will be divided – those who are
clamouring for change along the lines Maitreya is advocating,
and those who are fearful and looking to the past, who see Him
as the Antichrist, are fearful and do not know what to do. They
will stand aside and watch the events, and so lose the
opportunity presented, for the first time in history, to take
part in the transformation of the world. It is up to each
individual, from where he or she stands, to assert their
divinity. (Benjamin Creme, The Awakening of Humanity)
=========================================
"Much that is loved must go. Cling
not to the old forms. Much will depend on man’s ability to
renounce these outworn structures, and to create a new and
simpler world. Remember this. Forget not that I come to change
all things. My Coming brings peace. Likewise, My Presence brings
cleavage. My Sword, that Love which I am, will separate all men,
will show the True from the false, will clear the way for the
New Light which I bring. May it be that you can withstand this
change and accept My Light. (Maitreya, from Message No.74)
-- the selection of quotations is
after the letters to the editor.
In an interview
with the German author Peter Andreas, the scientist Prof. G.
Quispel expresses his amazement that the demonstrably wrong
ideas on this subject have not been abandoned:
"I am constantly astonished
to see that people still do not appear to know what has been
recognized for one and a half centuries: that the beast
from the Apocalypse refers to none other than the Caesar,
Nero. Only the later Christian church, in the time of
Constantine (325 AD), put the Apocalypse into a future,
historical time-frame."(From:Was
Morgenwahr sein kann,Econ
Verlag)
Source:
666 -- and other misunderstandings
http://www.share-international.org/archives/agelesswisdom/aw_pl666.htm
One of the easiest ways to know me, Maitreya says, is to
be
honest in your mind, be sincere in your spirit, and practice detachment. Any
action performed with dishonesty of mind, an insincere spirit and attachment
is destructive. For example, when you think one thing, say another, and do
something which is different again, you are lost. Honesty of mind leads to
honest speech and honest action. This harmony leads to peace and happiness.
Without detachment there is no salvation.
Be what you are. Do not surrender your self-respect, your
dignity, to others. Do not allow anyone to cast his shadow over you. A
Master gives experiences, but does not cast his shadow.
Do not follow one another. If you practice honesty of mind,
sincerity of spirit and detachment, you will know me, you will know the
Lord.
SRI SAI BABA - COSMIC AVATAR chanting the Gayatri
Mantra
The Gayatri is a great prayer for the
blessing of all creatures.
Download this 125 KB mp3 file recording of Sai
Baba sounding the Gayatri Mantra ~30 seconds long.
It has a profoundly nice effect - and can be set repeat
on most of the free sound players.
People in previous generations have not had such a
treasure freely available to them.
Eckhart Tolle - The Flowering of Human Consciousness
THRIVE (full movie)
ZEITGEIST: MOVING FORWARD | OFFICIAL RELEASE | 2011
"The problems confronting us should be faced with courage,
with truth, and understanding,
as well as with the willingness
to speak factually, with simplicity and with love,
in the effort
to expose the truth and clarify the problems which must be
solved.
The opposing forces...must be routed..." The
Tibetan
"Without sharing there can be no justice;
without justice there can be no peace;
without peace there can be no future...
Man must change or die.
There is no other course."
The World Teacher
"Almost anything you do [to help humanity] will seem
insignificant, but it's very important that you do it."
Mahatma Gandhi
Disclaimer:
As a non-profit, educational, private initiative the mindlight.info website, while very grateful
for their Great Work, is not affiliated with the Theosophical Society,
Lucis Trust, Alice Bailey, the Tibetan, Agni Yogi Foundation,
Helena Roerich, H.P. Blavatsky, George Adamski, Benjamin Creme, Share
International, Peter Liefhebber, and all others quoted here. Quoted texts are the intellectual property of the
copyright holders. For the latest news on the emergence of Maitreya & the Masters of Wisdom, see the SI web site:
http://www.share-international.org
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